Improved animal-trap



' horizontal position.

o Q M @tim :I 5ta-ien' @anni i@ ...mW/es, ifm. i MW ARTHUR L. VARING,.OF COSHOC'ION, OHIO.

Lette/rs Patent No. 83,011, dated October 1 3, 1868.

IMPROVED AN 1MAL-TRAP.

The Schedule referred to in these Letter! Patent and making part of the same.-

To all whom it ma/y concern Y Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. WAnrNe, of .Goshocton, in the county of Coshocton, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Animal- Traps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. l

This invention relates to animal-traps, and consists in the constrnction'of a trap-with hinged covers peculiarly arranged, combined with an interior diaphragm having points or spurs, the whole operating together to produce an eiiicient trap, as will be fully described' hereinafter. v

In the drawings annexed to this specification- Figure 1 represents a top view-of the box with the covers closed;

Figure 2, a vertical section through the centre of the box, exhibiting the inner opening and. sharpened. points; and

-Figure 3, a side view of the trap.

The same letters refer to identical parts in all the figures.

The box A may be of cubical or any suitable form, being shown in form of a cube. It should be made of such material, or, if made of wood, so covered, that it will resist the gnawing of any animal detained within.

Upon the top is a cover, composed of four sections, b b bb, mainly square shape, but having the corners removed to present a plane surface for pivoting. These sectional covers are arranged with one corner of each inward, all the inner corners meeting at the same point. Each; section is pivoted upon the plane surface presented by the truncated corners, ,and into blocks, tted upon the corners of the box, and the arrangement is such, that straightlines drawn from pivot to pivot shall form with the sides of the box a hexagonal voutline. oi' the centre, so that when the inner points are depressed, the greater weight of the part outside of the pivot shall return the section of the cover toits proper The outer ends of the latter are also weighted to insure the desired result.

Below the upper cover', just described, is a diaphragm, B, or horizontalpartition, in which is a square opening, d, forming a passage to tlrevlower part of the box. This opening is so arranged relatively to the sections ofthe covers, that each depressed corner shall fall into a corner of the opening in the diaphragm, and the diaphragm is located at such a distance from the cov- The pivots are located a little inside of the line.

ers as to admit of the corners falling into the described position.

Around the edges ofthe opening in the diaphragm are set sharp spikes, x x z, of proper size and number, projecting downward.

On one side of the box is a door or opening, O, of sufcient size to permit the animal to be removed thereby. Below the tilting-covers are xed springs, c e e e, against which the covers strike in their fall.

-The operation of. my improved trap may be readily understood from the description. The animal, enticed by the bait, attempts to walk upon the sectional and pivoted covers, and these being tipped by his weight, he is precipitated, through the opening in the horizontal partition, into the enclosure below. The corners of the tipping-sections prevent the escape of the animal into that part which is above the partition, and the sharp spikes hinder any egress from the lower part, after the animal is once plunged into it. The covers, too, can be opened only inward, and cannot be moved by any force from within Without breakage.

The opening O serves for the easy removal of the animals which may have been caught.

The springs e c serve, by their rebound, when the covers fall against them, to throw these covers quickly back into their horizontal position.

The trap above `described is simple and cheaply constructed, and of such form as not to excite the apprehension of animals, and'frighten them from it. It may be made of any size, and the parts modiiied in form, without departing from the spirit my of invention.

' 1 do not claim the tilting-covers, as they-have been before used; but having fully described my invention,

day of August, 1868.

ARTHUR L. WARING.

Witnesses:

J`. S. ELLIOTT, W. S. TIDBALL. 

